Silver Winter
by Gensomaden-Saiyuki
Summary: NejiTen fic. Gai tells them they dun have a mission instead... Click and read to find out!
1. Mission or not?

Neji's POV  
  
There are times when you don't need a specific and exact reason for anything that we like... or worse... that we love. I don't understand why I should feel for her. She's nothing special right? Or is she?...  
  
It was a cold winter morning when Gai, Lee Ten-Ten and I met in a vast forest. We were supposed to have a mission. Lee and Gai wore the same outfit while Ten-Ten wore a knitted sweater but the same pants. But I never thought that with her brown hair down, she would look... fascinating. It's true though, it was my first time to see her without that hairdo she usually has. It was also the first time she caught my attention.  
  
"Sorry to say, but you don't have a mission today." Gai said.  
  
"WHAT?!!! NO MISSION, SENSEI?! BUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TODAY?!" That pathetic Lee asked.  
  
"I want you to have fun."  
  
"Excuse me?" Ten-Ten protested, "Fun? What do you mean by fun? We're supposed to train instead of having missions! Not... fun..."  
  
"Well, you've been training a lot these days. But it's winter, we rarely have missions every winter. But we've been training non-stop for... let me see... twenty-one days in a row? You need at least some free time, my students."  
  
"Whatever." I bellowed.  
  
But I can hear Ten-Ten say beneath her breath, "This is not good."  
  
We already finished becoming chuunins. Including Ten-Ten and Lee. They became chuunins a year after I finished my chuunin exams. I didn't care about Lee but in the team, Ten-Ten's probably the only person I seem to know more. Because she's a female, her desire is to become stronger, stronger than Lee... Stronger than me. She couldn't hide those things from me, with my Byakugan, I can see her mind. But I think she knows that I know a lot about her.  
  
Gai took the three of us to a frozen lake.  
  
"I'll be right back before sunset. Enjoy!!!" Gai said.  
  
"Wow! A crystallized lake! How cool is that?!" Lee exclaimed.  
  
Ten-Ten just sighed and sat under a tree.  
  
"How am I supposed to have fun? Do I even know how to in this type of weather?" Ten-Ten muttered, "But if I stay here, Lee would ask me to have a snowfight with him. Which is... a bad idea."  
  
Ten-Ten stood up and started walking around. I guess she's bored. Or she IS bored. But I noticed, every winter, that's her mood. A little bit moody topped with the stillness of winter.  
  
Lee began gliding on the frozen lake with no blades, just with his snow shoes. I took the opposite path that Ten-Ten took.  
  
Ten-Ten's POV  
  
Why am I walking? Every winter, I feel so alone. Every night in every winter, I wanted someone to hug me and keep me warm. But who would do that? I live alone.  
  
I sat under a tree and sighed. Brought my legs to my chest and leaned my head on my knees. I grabbed a shuriken and flung it to a tree.  
  
Winter is so lifeless... So lonely... So cold, too.  
  
I touched my hair and noticed that it has passed my shoulders. I never noticed that it grew longer.  
  
I heard footsteps and rustling of bushes. I stood up and grabbed a kunai and became alert. The footsteps were drawing nearer.  
  
"WHO'S THERE?!!!" I shouted. 


	2. Feelings

Neji's POV  
  
"WHO'S THERE?!!!" a voice of a woman asked.  
  
I came out from the bushes and a kunai went flying my direction.  
  
"Oh. I'm so sorry. I thought it was an intruder or something like that. I'm really sorry, Neji." Ten-Ten said. I was able to get a grip of the flying kunai's handle and I tossed it back to her.  
  
She catched it and placed it back inside her kunai pack.  
  
"It's okay." I told her, "It's just your superstition."  
  
"So what brings you here?" she asked me as she sat under a tree. I sat at the opposite side of that tree she's been sitting under and I replied, "Do you think I want to catch a stupid, all-for-nothing snowfight with that thick-eyebrowed moron?"  
  
"Ah, so we had the same thing on our minds then. What a coincidence eh?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Neji... Don't you think winter is too lonely?"  
  
"And what makes you think that? Heck, I don't care. I just want to shut that moron's mouth."  
  
"Nothing. I mean, I don't even know why I always become moody every winter."  
  
"You're acting strange."  
  
"Huh? Wha... What do you mean I'm acting strange?"  
  
"You can't hide anything from me. With my Byakugan, I can see through you. But I don't want to use that to you now."  
  
"I know that for a long time now, Neji. Just what do you mean by I'm acting strange?"  
  
"Last time, when you were doing missions and training, you are more focused on your goal than your emotions. But now, you're focusing more on your personal matters than your goal to be strong."  
  
"Oh wait. Now that makes sense."  
  
And she can be pretty stupid at times. I just hate it when I'm with a stupid person.  
  
"But," Ten-Ten replied, "you were the first one to see through my shell. I've been hiding my emotions since then. Everytime I get home, that's the only time I can break my emotions free. I even throw tantrums."  
  
"Because you don't want to be defined 'weak'."  
  
She turned her head to me and smiled.  
  
"Exactly." She murmured, "Like what in an average team, there's the strong one, a medium and the girl – and the girl is the weak."  
  
"I am not saying that you are completely hopeless."  
  
"..."  
  
"I'm just telling you that not all girls are weak. Maybe, just maybe, you ARE stronger than Lee."  
  
"You're not saying that Lee's the girl in the team, right?"  
  
"If you're trying to make me laugh, it's no use."  
  
"Oh sorry Neji..." I can feel she bent her head down and hugged herself a while, "I just want... to... get rid of this feelings." 


	3. Tantrums

Ten-Ten's POV  
  
"I just want... to... get rid of these feelings." I told the silver-eyed boy, "I don't want it to take control of my mind and my body."  
  
It was true though, I felt that slight aching in my heart. Throw tantrums at night, just to get rid of the feeling. Why?... Why is this happening to me? Is it because... I... Am I... Have I... Fallen in love with... Neji?...  
  
"That's totally fine for females." He suddenly spoke to me, "They need to get over their emotions and accept their feelings. For males, it's a different idea. So you don't have to get angry with that feeling."  
  
I can't help but cry over these feelings. Do I have to tell him? Tell him that I fell in love with him? Will he reject me and will our friendship break? I hope not. I am certainly not telling him! Never! Never in a lifetime!  
  
I can hear him stand up. He approached me... Oh no... He'll see that I'm crying... What should I do?... Wait... What the... Why can't I stop crying?!  
  
Neji's POV  
  
I approached her. I genuflected infront of her and held her chin up, only to see that she was crying.  
  
"I'm sorry for showing my weakness." She whispered as more tears rolled down her cheeks.  
  
I placed my hands on her face, wiping her tears away.  
  
"Neji?..." she bellowed.  
  
I answered, "As I said... It's really okay for women to show their emotions and weaknesses."  
  
I looked at her sad and confused brown eyes. I was lost in her magnificent pair of brown eyes. She was much more beautiful than I thought. I... love... her...  
  
Ten-Ten, please stop crying... I love you...  
  
Ten-Ten's POV  
  
Neji?... Just what is he doing?... Is HE wiping my tears?... Bu... But why? This is not like him. He's a man that never gives a damn about a person's reactions.  
  
"A woman's heart is fragile unlike men's." he continued, "But once a man sees that the woman he loves is crying... He would feel so weak no matter how physically strong he is."  
  
What is he saying?! The woman he loves? No...  
  
"What are you talking about?" I asked with nervousness.  
  
He removed his hands from my face and smiled at me. Now that's weirder. He is physically strong, mentally too. But I think he blew up or maybe he bumped on a tree or something. This is just a joke, right? I am dreaming... If it was... I don't want to wake up anymore. 


	4. The Truth

Neji's POV  
  
Her eyes... Reflected how warm she is. I love her... But why? Is it because that this is such a rare occasion? Is it because she is beautiful to me? Is it because she's different? No... I don't know... All I know is... I want to be with her in all my life.  
  
I placed my hand on her chin as snow started to fall gently.  
  
I told her, "I know. I'm acting weirder."  
  
"..."  
  
"You asked me if I feel lonely or something like that whenever it's winter... If I don't get training, I can be pretty moody. I guess people experience the same thing."  
  
She was shocked. I can feel that.  
  
"Just what exactly do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"I feel the same too. You want someone to hug you every night to give you warmth not only to your body, but also to your heart. That's why people get lonely and a little bit moody in winter."  
  
"I see. But what did you just made mention a while ago? The part where you said that a man would feel weak if he sees that the woman he loves is crying no matter how physically strong he is."  
  
"You're breaking my heart, Ten-Ten."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"I don't want to see you crying. You're the woman that I'm talking about. You're the woman that I don't want to see crying. I see you... beautiful."  
  
Ten-Ten's POV  
  
We feel the same about each other? Is that what he wants to tell me? He doesn't want to see me crying...It must be true.  
  
"Ten-Ten, tell me. Honestly... Do you have feelings for me, too?" he questioned me.  
  
"Why don't you use your Byakugan and see for yourself?"  
  
He just stared at me with those pair of silver and gentle eyes.  
  
I responed, "Uhmm... I... I do have feeli-"  
  
He suddenly kissed me. Not only that, he hugged me too! I was shocked... I never saw this coming... He loves me...  
  
He slid his hands to my cheeks and I just placed my hands behind his neck. He broke the kiss slowly and his eyes were about an inch away from mines. He looked at me with those pair of silver eyes again. Even I was lost in his eyes. I saw myself in his eyes...  
  
"Do you accept my feelings for you?" he asked me.  
  
"Of course, Neji... Why not?" I responded with a smile. He gave me a hand and helped me stand up with him.  
  
He placed his hands on my hips and I placed mines on his shoulders. We were still smiling at each other. We laughed softly after that as we both stared at the snow. Then our eyes met again but we still had our smiles.  
  
"I love you, Ten-Ten. And no one else."  
  
I smiled at him and said, "I love you, too."  
  
We passionately kissed each other on that winter day...  
  
It is true... There is no reason to like someone or worse... To love him. Winter can be lonely but love is still flying freely in the air. Thank you Neji... Thank you for loving me... 


End file.
